Capitol Hill to get noisier as work starts on new light rail station

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SEATTLE - Residents on Capitol Hill are used to dealing with lots of construction noise around the neighborhood - not to mention the noise from dozens of bars and clubs - but Sound Transit warns the neighborhood is about to get a lot louder for a little while.

Starting Thursday, contract crews for the transportation department started work on the west entry for the new Sound Transit Capitol Hill Station.

According to SDOT, the work is taking place across the street from the station site, on the west side of Broadway. Crews will spend the next two to three months building the support system used to dig underneath Broadway for the pedestrian concourse.

Residents can expect to hear construction related noise for the project from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the week and 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturdays.

The underground pedestrian concourse, when finished, will give riders access to the station from the west side of Broadway.

Over the summer, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved an agreement with Sound Transit to allow developers to build the station up to 85 feet tall in exchange for workforce and affordable housing. The agreement also includes plans for a public plaza which will become the permanent site for the Capitol Hill Farmers Market.

Light rail trains are expected to start moving through the Capitol Hill Station in 2016.

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